Is Love Blind? A Survey

Have you ever wondered if love truly starts from more than physical appearance? Or if there’s a state where residents are more likely to prioritize looks over personality? As the saying goes, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” But is it the prime factor that tugs at the heartstrings of Americans?

In a quest to answer the age-old question of whether love is blind, we took a deep dive into the hearts and minds of Americans. Surveying individuals from coast to coast, we set out to uncover how much weight is given to physical attraction when it comes to forming romantic relationships.

We analyzed responses from over 3,000 Americans to answer all this and more — read on to see what we found out!

Key Findings

• 85% of Americans say they would still be with their partner today even if they hadn’t been able to see them when getting to know one another.
• 3 in 5 say they give their partner more compliments relating to their personality rather than their appearance.
• 91% of Americans would stay with their partner even if they had a significant change in appearance.
• The strongest type of attraction Americans report feeling toward their partner is emotional attraction (42%), followed by romantic attraction (25%).
• When presented with a set of adjectives to describe their partner, 82% of respondents selected words that were related to personality attributes, and 12% chose adjectives solely describing appearance.

The Role of Appearance in Modern Relationships

In the age of social media and the constant bombardment of airbrushed images, you might assume that societal standards heavily influence our perception of attractiveness. Surprisingly, 70% of Americans say these standards have little to no sway on how they view attractiveness within their relationship.

If life were like the movies, people would see each other and fall in love right away. But in reality, more than half of Americans (54%) don’t believe in love at first sight. Even more, 85% say they would still choose their partner even if they couldn’t see them when they first met. But let’s be real: it’s tough to imagine truly connecting with someone if you knew absolutely nothing about how they looked.

Now, what about people in long-term relationships? Some folks (36%) say they find their partner even more attractive as time goes by. But not all believe their partner has gotten better with age — 16% admit that they feel the opposite.

Compliments are a fun way to tell someone what you like about them, but they shouldn’t be reserved for looks alone. Three out of five people say they tell their partners nice things about who they are on the inside, more than how they look on the outside. And when they had to pick words to describe their partners, most people (82%) chose words about their personality, and only 12% picked words about how they look.

It seems like most people care more about who their partner is on the inside than how they look on the outside.

Vanity Levels Across the U.S.

In the vast and diverse landscape of the United States, people’s values and perspectives vary significantly from one state to another. This variety is even evident when we look at how much importance different states place on physical appearance.

New York stands out as the state most concerned with looks, boasting a vanity score of 72 out of 100. Here, the blending of cultures and the continuous influx of trends might put more emphasis on staying in vogue, leading to a heightened awareness of personal appearance. In the Big Apple, 70.8% admit they would not be in a relationship with their current partner if they didn’t find them attractive.

It may come as a surprise given the state’s reputation for traditional values and down-to-earth hospitality, but Texas ranks as the second most vain, with a score of 71. Texans have no shame in saying that attractiveness is an important factor when deciding whether to pursue a relationship with someone.

On the opposite end of the spectrum is Maine, known for its serene landscapes and a more laid-back lifestyle. With a vanity score of just 20 out of 100, Mainers seem to place less emphasis on external appearances. When asked how important physical appearance is in a relationship, Maine residents rank it a 6.9 out of 10.

Close behind is New Mexico, coming in just above Maine with a vanity score of 21. The state, with its blend of Native American, Hispanic, and Anglo heritage, places a strong emphasis on inner values, traditions, and connections, which rings true even with their relationships.

Closing Thoughts

Regardless of where you stand on the spectrum of vanity, the essence of true love and commitment is something we can all aspire to. As relationships evolve, the symbols we choose to represent them should be as timeless and unique as the bonds they represent.

For those eyeing their lifelong commitments, Shane Co. offers a curated collection of exquisite engagement rings and fine jewelry. Whether love at first sight resonates with you or not, let Shane Co. be a part of your love story, crafting pieces that are as individual as your own tale of romance.

Methodology

To determine if love really is “blind,” we surveyed over 1,000 people currently in relationships and asked them questions aimed at uncovering how valued physical attraction is in relation to emotional connection in their relationship, and if one truly outweighs the other.

In order to see which states are the most “vain” (i.e. value looks higher than personality), we surveyed over 2,100 people from 44 states with questions related to looks vs. personality, such as what they valued more in a relationship, the most desirable of the two, and what catches their attention first. From there, we put the percentage of respondents from each state who said they value appearance higher on a scale of 0 to 5, with 5 being the state that had the most people choose looks over personality. We equally weighted each looks-vs.-personality question and totaled them to give a “vanity score” to each state.